Kollona Amn, the Saudi snooping app spreading fear among activists
Saudi Arabians are using a widely available Google and Apple store app to report activists who speak out against the government. Some have received harsh sentences while others are self-censoring.
Kollona Amn is being used to target Saudi human-rights activists and sentence them to years in prison, despite Big Tech’s policies against harassment.
Peter GuestFor "Real," a Saudi Arabian women's-rights activist, anonymity is all that keeps her safe. Under that alias, she uses Twitter to advocate for victims of domestic violence in the kingdom, sending their stories trending in the country and overseas. Her work is fraught with risk.
"Every day we wake up to hear news, somebody has been arrested, or somebody has been taken," Real told Insider, using a voice modulator to disguise her voice. "Today I'm here with you, sharing my story. Tomorrow I might be caught."